Qualcomm details 28nm dual-core Snapdragon chip

Qualcomm is preparing a 28nm dual-core Snapdragon processor for 2011.

On Wednesday the chipmaker said the new MSM8960 chip will be "based on a new micro-architecture that delivers approximately five times the performance of the original Snapdragon chip at 75 percent less power", according to EETimes.

The ARM-based chip will also have an upgraded CPU core, an integrated multi-mode modem that supports the long term evolution (LTE) and 3G communications standards and enhanced graphical capabilities. It will have built-in integrated connectivity for wireless LAN, GPS, Bluetooth and FM radio, according to Qualcomm.

Samples of the new chips will be sent out in early 2011. The MSM8960 will be Qualcomm's first 28nm scale chip.

Many phones, including the HTC Desire, use Snapdragon processors. The first generation of Snapdragon was the first 1GHz mobile processor, which saw its debut in the Toshiba TG01 smartphone.

The MSM8960 will build on Qualcomm's existing in-production MSM8260 and MSM8660 lines, which are dual-core 1.2GHz ARM-based processors for smartphones and tablets.

A number of companies are developing multi-core ARM-based processors for phones and mobile devices, including Samsung with its Orion, Marvell with its Armada and Nvidia with the Tegra 2.